Modern Warfare 2: The Tale of Roach
by Erin Peepsta
Summary: When Gary Sanderson was given the code name 'Roach', he knew it wasn't because he was a pest. Follow Roach through all of his near death experiences to see just how much of a fighter he truly is. A collab Story with Jacob0392. Please review
1. Die Another Day

'Die another day'

Day 1 - 21:38:52

Sgt. Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141

Tian Shian foothills

"WHO SENT YOU!" The Russian officer screamed as his pistol whipped me across the face. I jerk my head away, sharp pain burning in my cheek.

A grunt from behind me from my team mate Snake sounds loudly, "Don't tell 'em a fuckin thing Roach!" Snake shouted in between punches landed on him by another soldier.

"Go fuck yourself!" I spat back. In turn, I got a punch in response to my foul words against my capture. I grit my teeth, tasting the irony flavor of blood in my mouth. _Well at the rate this is going, it doesn't look like I'm going to win award for 'best smile.'_

"WHO FUCKING SENT YOU?" The Russian officer shouted again, growing in anger as the punches land between each of his words.

With every punch, I start to see spots. "Don't let him get to you Roach! He ain't shit!" screams Snake. The Officer quickly turned and put a bullet in Snake's head. Blood splattered onto the wall as Snake's head feel back limp.

My eyes widen, not believing what had just happened. I grit my teeth as I shoot the Russian officer a murderous look. "You fucking basta-" I start but a blow across the face cut me off. My grip tightens on the small dagger in my hand and I slowly start working at the ropes. I had secretly activated my silent beacon when they had captured us in hopes that the captain would come save us but that wasn't happening right now. _What if he was dead too-no! _Mustn't think like that. I just need to stall them long enough for either the captain to get here or to give me time to get loose. "Ya know my superiors are going to be really pissed when they hear two of their guys are missing!" I spat at the officer.

The officer simply laughs at my threat. "Why should we give shit? It's not like they can find where your at anyway." he scoffs, smiling smugly at me.

"Well ya see, what you fuck faces don't know is when you join our little 'club', you get a handy little heart monitor that tells the higher ups my status and location." I replied, matching his smug appearance.

The officer narrows his eyes at me, crossing his arms across his chest. "And this should concern us how?" he growls sharply.

"Because sooner or later they're gonna come looking for me!" I snap back.

The look on the second soldier's face slowly changed from normal to worry. "Sir what if they come to get him? He asked, fear evident in his thick Russian accent as he fidgets nervously.

"Ivan stop being such a fucking baby! Get over here and kill this bastard!" The officer ordered angrily, not pleased at Ivan's coward ness.

I smirk at Ivan, "Yeah Ivan get over here and off me so the big scary westerners can come get you!" I tease, darkly. The officer turned around and punched me square in the mouth.

I cut a rope leaving only one left before I'm free. _Looks like I'm gonna have to fight my way out of this_. "IVAN! NOW!" He boomed, his voice renouncing throughout the room.

"Sergei no! This is going too far! Let's just go to the Commissioner he can handle this better!" Ivan pipes up, standing up to his superior. _Damn, he's got guts._

Sergei blinks before rage over comes his face. "What? Are you saying I can't handle this!" Sergei spat, lashing out at this offense.

"What? NO! I just think it would be better if we let the commander take a look at him." Ivan said whimpering, biting his lip nervously. _Aaaand there he looses them..._

Sergei rolls his eyes irritated. "Fuck! I guess if you want a job done you have to do it yourself!" Sergei snaps sharply before producing a revolver and pulling back the hammer. Finally I'm free and now all I have to do now is wait for the right moment. "Any last words American?" Sergei sneers as he jammed the gun into my temple.

"Yeah, I fucked your sister!" I reply confidently. All of a sudden there was a loud explosion and the door to my left exploded inward. Sergei turned towards the doorway. Seizing the opportunity I swiftly head butted the Russian and knee him in the stomach. He fell to the floor, pained and disorientated. I jumped up and brought the full weight of my body down on him with my elbow. This bastard is gonna pay! I continued to rain punched down on him, drinking up the pleasure of feeling his bones break under my fists. My civility had given away completely to savagery-and i. liked it. "How does it feel mother fucker! Ya like that?" I scream loudly as I continue to beat him viciously. I was so caught up in beating this guy to a pulp that I didn't even notice that my captain, John Mactavish was the source of the explosion.

He had killed Ivan and came beside me while I continued throwing down punches on this sick bastard. "Roach? ROACH?" Mactavish shouted as he grabbed me. "Ya got 'em boy. It's done." He stated in a calming voice.

"He got Snake." I mumble sadly pointing to Snake's lifeless body. As I feel my sanity seep back slowly.

Mactavish frowns dismally, patting me on the shoulder. "It's alright lad. There was nothing you could do." He said as he helped me to my feet.

I look up at him, then back at the dead body of Snake. "What now Captain? What are we going to do about Snake?" I ask, a bad feeling about what comes next sitting in my stomach.

He hesitates, sighing deeply. "Well officially we don't exist and the Russians must never know we were here so well have to burn the bodies." He told me looking away.

"I understand. Sir request permission to gather his personal effects for his family?" I asked remembering Snake reminisce about his wife and kids. _And they'd think he died some where in the Middle East...this is so messed up._

Mactavish nods silently. "Granted." Mactavish replied. Quietly I walk over to Snake and gathered a ring, a bracelet, and the rosary from around his neck. I checked his pockets to see if there was anything else that he would have wanted his family to have. In checking his left breast pocket, I found a note. I opened it and read it. _~Roach if your reading this then I am most likely dead. Give my ring to my wife and the bracelet to my daughter and let them know I loved them more than life itself. Take the rosary for yourself and may God protect you. Jack 'Snake' Snyder~_

I folded the note and put it along with the ring and bracelet in my pocket. After placing the rosary around my neck I stood and walk towards the Captain. "I'm ready sir." I state quietly.

He nods. "Alright lad let's get this over with." He replies, heading outside. We set the hut on fire, watching as it slowly burned. Sadness danced in my eyes along with the fire. When we're sure the fire will continue to burn, the Captain and I made our way to the base of the mountains and set up camp. After finally building a small fire I sat down and looked for my cigarettes.

But then I remembered that freaking Russian officer took them. "Dammit!" I muttered.

"What's wrong laddie?" Mactavish asked as he sat down beside me.

I narrow my eyes, glaring into the fire heatedly. "Freakin Russians took my smokes." I said crossing my arms.

"Got it covered." Mactavish replied, pulling out a pack of Marlboros.

A small smile formed across my face. "Thanks Big Mac! You're a lifesaver." I chime happily. After a few cigarettes and some light conversation we decided to call it a night.

"Let's get some sleep lad. God knows were gonna need it. Gotta be up at a quarter to four." Mactavish yawns before drifting off to sleep. The wind whistles through the mountains, rustling the tent slightly. I curl up in my sleep bag, letting the warmth of it incase me. My mind wanders to the mission, to Snake; to the guy I beat to a pulp. I shiver, remembering how I lost my sanity in that moment-how it almost felt good to cause pain. Shaking my head, I rid myself of that thought. Slowly, I close my eyes and drift to sleep while fragments of my past dance in my dream.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of, _Modern Warfare 2: The tale of Roach._ To set the record straight, this is a collab with Jacob0392 and me.

Please rate and review


	2. Cliff Hanger

'Cliffhanger'

Day 2 - 07:35:55

Sgt. Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141

Tian Shian Range, Kazakhstan

The cold breeze of the mountain slapped against my face sharply as I took another drag from my cigarette. I looked towards the sky as a Mig roared past above us, the sonic boom causing chunks of rocks to fall and every nerve in my body to rattle. Glancing over to the Captain silently, he is still calmly enjoying his cigar. "Breaks over Roach, let's go." He mumbles before tossing his cigar down the cliff. Slowly standing, I tossed my cigarette over the side and secured my ACR. We slowly shimmy our ways across the ice edge till we stop at a sheet of ice. "Stay here and spot me. Wait for my go." Mactavish orders, producing a pair of ice picks. He reached across the ice and slammed one of the picks into the ice. Quickly, he brought the other pick with the full weight of his body into the ice. He started up the sheet, testing the ice with his crampons and pick. _Honestly, you got to be nuts to do that. I won't put all my trust those things- _"All right, the ice is good. Follow me." He said as he began climbing. –_if I was on an ice mountain in the Sahara!_

Following suit, I pulled out my ice picks and secured them with my wrist straps. "Come on Gary, no fuck ups." I quietly murmured to myself, hoping this mission wouldn't go downhill just because of my fear of heights. _Just gotta not think about it_. I followed after the Captain's pace as quickly as my trembling body would let me. _Dammit Gary! Get it out of your head!_ I cursed myself as I continued climbing. All of a sudden there was a loud shriek of jet engine over head. I look up in horror to see Mactavish dangling from one pick from another Mig passing over head. _Shit! If he falls what the fuck am I gonna do?_ The Captain quickly recovered, digging his other pick in the ice. Once he finds his footing, he continues on as if nothing had happen. I let out a pent up breath, shaking slightly. "Fucking a Captain! You scared the hell outta me!" I breathe as I let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that laddie. Are you alright?" The captain asked over his shoulder. I'm glad he can't see how much I'm trembling.

"All good sir." I shouted back trying to hide the shakiness in my voice. Shaking my fear off, I quickly resume my climb until I reached the top of the cliff.

The Captain nodded at me. "Good luck, mate. I'll see you on the far side." He said as he took off on a dead sprint into the fog. _Dammit, I REALLY hope this gap isn't too wide! _ I thought as I found the edge. I back up to get a running start, wiping the frost off my sun glasses to get a better view. I run towards the edge as fast as my legs would carry me. _Come on you got this, you got this Gary_. Right as I reached the edge it felt like the ground was starting to give out from underneath me. Instantaneously, I jump with all my might. For a moment, I feel like I'm flying. But the feeling doesn't last long as I feel myself slam against the other side of the gap painfully. My heart begins to race as I slide backwards down the cliff face. I frantically try to dig my picks into the cliff side but I continue to slide. "Hold on! Don't let go!" Mactavish's voice rang out from above me. I finally caught a hold of the ice with one of my picks. My eyes glance down at the bottomless drop and I shudder. I look up towards my ice pick, knowing it wouldn't hold for much longer.

Silently I pray it to not end here. But hearing the ice crack is enough to tell me that this was it. The ice shattered but instead of falling to my death my body came to an abrupt halt. I look up to see that Mactavish had caught me by the wrist. He had a strange look on his face. _Was it anger? Fear? Relief? Probably all of the above_. He motioned to his left with his head and threw me with all his strength up the cliff face. _Damn who was this throwing me, Captain John Mactavish or Captain Chuck Norris?_ _He must have thrown me like ten feet in the air!_ I swing my ice pick and this time, thank God, it stuck in the ice. Quickly, I climb the rest of the way to the top and tried to stop my panic attack. "Roach? Are you alright lad?" Mactavish inquires as he pulled himself up over the edge I was on.

"Captain I'm so sorry! I'm such a dumb sh- " I start, feeling I had put everything in jeopardy with my idiotic fear of heights.

Mactavish helps me up, a firm hand on my quivering shoulder, "Roach! Calm down! It's OK. Now check your heartbeat sensor." He orders, starting forward along a strip of snow.

I nod rigidly. "Yes sir." I mumble as I fold out the sensor from the side of my ACR. A blue dot blinks on the screen.

"You should be able to see me on the scope. That blue dot is me. Any unrecognized contacts will show up as white dots." He states as I begin to follow him, "Oh and Roach…"

I look up at the mention of my call sign, "Yes Captain?" I reply

"Don't worry about a thing and stay frosty." He said patting me on the shoulder comfortingly.

A small smile crosses my lips under my scarf, "Way ahead of ya Big Mac." I said pointing to my frost covered Oakleys. The captain chuckles before motioning for me to follow him. I follow him through the snow till a beep from my heartbeat sensor rings out in my headset.

Looking down, I see two dots on the screen "Roach, these moppets have no idea we're here. Let's take this nice and slow." The captain mutters coolly as I look up to see two tangos several feet away from us with their backs turn, "You take the one on the left. On three…" Readying my rifle, I take aim at the back of the tango's head. "One...Two...Three." I let loose a suppressed three round burst just as another MIG took off from the runway. With that, the Russian dropped with a bloody mist flying from his head. A single shot rang out and the tango on the right fell to the ground along with his buddy, staining the once pure white snow crimson red. "Nicely done." Mactavish commented, lowering his M14 EBR.

I smirk, "Thanks. But I could do better." I reply confidently. We continue down the pathway, the force of the wind blowing hard against our fronts. _Gah how can there be a base up here?_ We come up to a small hill and start towards it when suddenly my earpiece starts beeping again.

I look ahead and spot two more tangos "Same plan. On three." Mactavish whispers. I aimed down my sights, my red dot trained on the Russian just as he was lighting a cigarette. "One...Two...Three." Mactavish said slowly. I fire a single round right into the Russian's throat. He falls to the ground, choking on smoke and blood. "Nice work." Mactavish remarks as he starts forward and glances around. "The storm's brewing up." He said.

Rolling my eyes, I observe this too. "Yeah you're telling me." I mutter as I pull my hood over my head. We continue further down the path till we come to a ridge.

"Let's split up. I'll use the thermal scope and provide over watch from this ridge. Use the cover of the storm to enter the base." The captain informs as he secured his rifle and climbed to the top of the ridge, "You'll be a ghost in this blizzard, so the guards won't see you until you're very close. Keep an eye on your heartbeat sensor. Good luck." I checked my ACR making sure it still had plenty of ammo. Taking in a deep breath, I start towards the entrance of the base where a lone guard standing, fiddling with his AK. I raise my rifle but before my finger could even touch the trigger the guard fell with bloody mist emitting from his temple. "Got em'." Mactavish's voice mumbles through my earpiece. Just as I was about to joke with the captain about being a show off, another guard charged out from behind a parked jeep. Knife drawn, he has a look in his eyes that could make the devil flinch. I frantically raise my ACR to put a bullet in the Russian's head, but he's faster. He tackles me and holds me pinned down to the ground. He aims his knife down at my throat, a smug smile crease forming in his mask. But just as he slices down with the knife, I catch him by the wrist and swiftly punch him in the jaw. Before the Russian has time to react I reach for my tac knife and impaled him straight through the jaw. The Russian went motionless and fell backwards in a bloody mess. "Roach, are you OK!" Mactavish's voice rang out through my headset in concern.

I nod, shaking slightly from the adrenaline rush. "Yeah I'm OK. Did I alert anybody?" I asked as I retrieved my knife from the dead man's skull. I check my ACR, loading a new clip in.

"No thermal signatures on the scope. You're good to go lad." Mactavish replied. This time with my eye on my heartbeat sensor, I slowly make my way pass the fence and towards a small hut. I drop to a crouch and look to the sensor. The screen shows two tangos residing in that building. I hug the wall of the hut and peek cautiously through the doorway. One stands guard while the other sits in a metal chair, fast asleep. Shouldering my ACR, I pull out my USP and took aim at the standing tango. I put a bullet in the back of the head of the unsuspecting Russian. The one sleeping tango falls back out of his chair and made a mad grab for his weapon.

But I'm faster as I quickly put an end to him. "Captain have you got the location on the fueling station?" I asked as I holster my pistol.

"Roger that, I've tapped into their comms. Head southeast and plant your C4 at the fueling station. We may need to go to 'Plan B' if things go south." The captain orders. I make my way out of the hut in the direction of the fueling station, hoping I wouldn't run into anymore trouble. Taking a detour, I slip through another hut and start onto the Tarmac. "Hold up. I'm seeing some activity on the runway." Mactavish warns through my headset. I come to a direct stop and take cover behind a concrete barrier. "Looks like twenty plus foot-mobiles heading your way." Mactavish states grimly. Keeping my cool, I glance down at my heartbeat sensor. Seeing no dots on the screen I continue down the Tarmac until I reach a large tanker like structure. "That's the fueling station. You found it." Mactavish observes from his spot on the ridge. I pull out the C4 and attach it to the side of the tank. _I sure hope these bastards light like fireworks_- I think to myself as I rig the wires to the explosives. After I set the frequency, I take cover behind an enemy jeep. "I'm picking up more radio traffic about the satellite. Standby... Got it. Sounds like the satellite's in the far hangar. Race you there. Oscar Mike. Out." Mactavish said. I almost jump with excitement at the idea of beating the captain at a race.

Sprinting towards the hanger, I make sure to avoid enemy patrols along the way. I run up to the hanger and stare up at it in question. _How the hell am I supposed to get in? _Going around the back, I intend to look for a way in. Turning the corner, I spy a door but no Mactavish. A feeling of accomplishment hits me as I let a smug smile cross my lips. "Hey captain! Looks like I wi-" I start, talking into my head set.

But all of a sudden, Big Mac comes out from behind a dumpster near the door clutching an AK-47. "Took the scenic, eh?" He comments, humorously.

Though I didn't beat him, I don't let my dismay drip from my words. "Eh you know me, I love sight seeing." I reply. Mactavish opens the door while holding his rifle in one hand. Following suit I walk in after and look down the hall. A set of lockers sit at the end of the hallway. A lone tango walks in from the other room and turns towards one of the lockers. I aim my rifle about to shoot but in that split second the captain tackles the man against the lockers and onto the ground. The man frantically fumbled for his sidearm, only to receive a knife to the throat courtesy of captain Mactavish. Mactavish gives the man a kick to make sure he's dead before striding into the main room. I follow after, glancing once at the dead tengo. Seeing the satellite, we both make our way to the multimillion dollar piece of junk.

The captain picks up a drill and starts attempting to disassemble the satellite. "Go upstairs and look for the ACS module." Mactavish orders quietly as he starts to work on the satellite.

"Roger that." I answer back. I quickly make my way up the stairs and into the room at the top. Searching throughout the small office, I finally find what I assume to be the ACS module. I pick it up and stuff it into one of my vest pockets. Suddenly I hear the rumbling of the hangar doors opening. _Wait why would the doors be opening? That can only mean... Oh shit_!

I hastily run out of the room and hide behind some crates at the top of the staircase. "Roach, I've been compromised! Keep a low profile and hold your fire..". I heard Mactavish murmur into the radio. Carefully, I peek over the crates and make out the captain with his hands in the air. Only feet away from him are at least a dozen Russians with their rifles trained on him.

A man, whom I assumed was their commanding officer, held a megaphone. "This is Major Petrov! Come out with your hands up! You have five seconds to comply!" He screams through the megaphone. I watch in horror as he begins the death count. "Five!"

"Roach, go to Plan B." Mactavish orders quietly through the radio.

"Four!" I hurriedly fumble for the detonator. "Three!" My hands grasp the detonator tightly in my grasp. "Two!" I flip the switch and right as he begins to say one an explosion erupts behind them. It shakes the whole base and knocks some soldiers off their feet, while others turned to see what the ruckus was. Swiftly rising from my hiding spot, I aim down my sights and mow down Petrov and several surrounding tangos. I abruptly run out of ammo and slam in a new mag.

Mactavish made quick work of the rest of them. "Stay close and hug the wall! We'll use the Migs for cover and cross the tarmac to the southeast!" The captain shouts as he takes down several more tangos. I promptly run down the stairs just as Mactavish lobs a flash bang. It explodes, sending the Russians into a blind stumble. "Roach! Follow me! Let's go!" Mactavish barks as he ran out of the hangar. I chase after him, taking shots along the way. We both come to a concrete barrier and crouch down behind it. Taking this chance opportunity of cover, we both reload our guns. "Head for that Mig, I'll cover you!" the captain said, pointing in the parked plane's direction. I jump over the barrier and sprint towards the MIG while firing at the tangos gathered around it.

Right as I reach the plane it explodes into flames, sending shrapnel and bodies every which way. "Shit!" I swore loudly as fragments of metal bounced off my vest sharply.

"To the east, Roach! Go!" Mactavish screams as he ran past me. Ignoring the screaming pain in my legs, I follow the captain's lead, taking out tangos along the way. For a moment, I feel the shooting has died down enough for me to slam another mag into my ACR. "Snowmobiles! Take 'em out!" orders Mactavish. My heat races as I look in horror at the speeding vehicles heading in our direction. I abruptly jump behind a snowdrift out of the speeding vehicle's path. "Roach get up! I'll cover you! Come to me! Mactavish hollers, gesturing for me to follow. I stagger up and sprint to the captain's position. Spinning on my heel I turn and fire at more tangos heading our direction. "Roach! I'm heading for that hill! Let's go!" Mactavish advises me. Swiftly drop a flash bang; we dash towards an opening in the fence and slide down the hill. I turn around and fire at the tangos gathering at the top of the hill. All of a sudden more snowmobiles appear at the top and start making there way down. I look for the captain and find him crouched down behind a hut with one of his ice picks drawn. _What the hell is he doing?_ Just as a snowmobile speeds past the hut, Mactavish slams his pick straight into the Russian's chest. The snowmobile comes to a spinning stop in front of me. Another snowmobile stops several feet away. I raise my rifle and shot both the Russians from their seats. "Roach, take that snowmobile! Let's get the hell out of here!" Mactavish barks as he runs towards the other snowmobile. Quickly, I jump on the vehicle and sped down the hill. "Kilo Six-One, the primary exit point is compromised! We're en route to the backup LZ using enemy transport! Meet us there! Over!" Mactavish's voice rang out on my headset.

"Bravo Six, this is Kilo Six-One, roger that, out." the chopper pilot replies.

Several bullets whistle pass me. "Tangos to the rear! Just outrun them! Go! Go!" Mactavish warns. A snowmobile pulls up in front of me, the man on the back aiming his AK in my direction. I pull my G18 and spray bullets into the driver's back that causes both of them to crash into a tree. "Don't slow down! Keep moving or your dead! Go! Go! Go!" Mactavish Shouts as we ramp onto a frozen lake. There were several pissed off Russians gathered on the ice firing wildly at us. A snowmobile pulls up beside me and I feel a sting in my side. But I ignore it and spray both the Russians with my G18, swerving away from them.

I look ahead and notice an enemy Hind at the end of the lake. "Um captain! I think we gotta problem!" I states, shakily.

"I see it Roach just avoid the missiles!" Mactavish replies back loudly. The helicopter fires a flurry of missiles towards my direction but I weave through the many explosions going off around me.

I feel several sharp pains in my back as an explosion erupts several feet behind me. "Fucking bastards!" I curse vociferously as I blind fire my G18 over my shoulder. Speeding up a hill, I end up getting away from the pursuing Russians. "Captain where are you!" I asked frantically.

"Right behind ya boy! Don't stop, keep going!" He cautions from behind me.

"Bravo Six, we're at bingo fuel. What's your status, over?" The pilot asked as we crested the hilltop.

We start down the hill, a bad feeling sitting on the bottom of my stomach. "Kilo Six-One, we're taking heavy fire but we're almost there! Standby!" Mactavish growls through the headset.

My stomach weakens as I look down the steep hill and notice a giant gap at the bottom. "Captain we're not gonna make it!" I shout panicky.

"Yes we are! Pin the throttle! Keep going!" Orders Mactavish. I pin the throttle as high as it would go, narrowly avoiding several trees. My snow mobile jumps and for a second I feel as if I'm flying. Fear holds me tight as I close my eyes, bracing myself for the possible fatal impact to have it not occur.

We both land roughly but in one piece on the other side and sped towards the Pave low. "Bravo Six we have you on visual. Get your ass on board! We're running on fumes here!" The pilot shouts through my headset. The captain and I swiftly board the chopper and practically fell into our seats.

I breathe heavily, running a shaky hand through my hair. Mactavish looks over at me, grinning widely. "That was fun. We should do that again!" he states.

Slowly I look at him, my eyes large with shock at this statement. I just shake my head distastefully, "Yeah…about no." I mutter, resting my head back as I feel absolutely depleted.

Author's note: Now this is a looong chapter! :) Hope you all enjoyed it.

Please rate and review


	3. Friends like that

'Friends like that'  
5 Months prior  
Sgt. Gary Sanderson  
Delta Force transferee  
Creedenhill, UK

11:00:23

I froze in fear when the skull masked man stopped in front of me. "And you are?" He asks in a heavily British accented voice. I keep my eyes away from his piercing gaze and instantly snap to a salute.

"Sir! Sergeant Sanderson, Gary! Delta For-!" I begin, but stop when the man holds up a gloved hand.

"Relax kid. You always this jumpy?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me in curiosity.

I chance a look at the older man, "Just excited to be here sir." I respond nervously. A smile crease formed in the man's skull mask.

"Well the fun hasn't even started yet." He replies shortly before turning to the rest of the recruits. "Alright men that's enough. As far as introductions go, I'm Lieutenant Riley but you can call me Ghost. For now, head to the barracks and get settled in. Lunch at 1200. Dismissed." He orders us. Slowly we all begin to disperse, heading towards the entrance of the base. But I firm hand on my shoulder stops me from following the pack. I look back and nearly jump out of my skin when I see a grinning skull mask staring at me. "I believe the Captain wanted to have a word with you sergeant." he informs me. Immediately after those words left his mouth, my whole body tenses up.

I gulp, shifting uncomfortably. "Um sir if I may for what purpose?" I ask trying to conceal the shakiness of my voice. The Lieutenant, now known as Ghost, merely shrugged.

"He wasn't specific. But you needn't worry; the Captain is really down to earth with the men." He assures me. I nod in understanding, though tension still seats precariously in me. Quietly I follow him into a building, cool air conditioned air embracing us. We walk in silence until we arrive to an office, where a large Mohawk man sat going over a heap of paperwork. "Captain Mactavish. Here's the new recruit you asked about." Ghost reveals, speaking to the man.

The man looks up from the mountain of paperwork, looking relieved at the sudden distraction. "Ah yes. Have a seat, lad." He said gesturing to the seat across from him. He then glances to Ghost. "That'll do Ghost. Now go help the others get settled in." He regulates to Ghost, who nods and disappears out of the room. The captain then shifts his gaze to me.

"Welcome to the 141 Sergeant Sanderson. I'm your captain John Mactavish." He greets warmly extending a hand. I shyly return the gesture and smile self consciously. _Does he do this for everyone? _"You're probably wondering why I wanted to see you." He said. _No, I was wondering why the sky is blue and you're the only one who knows. Of course I'm wondering why you wanted to see me. _I thought sarcastically, though I don't chance saying such a thing to a higher-up. So I just nod."Well I've went over your file and it says your an excellent soldier, but it also goes on to mention your reluctance to socialize with other soldiers." He explains, glancing down at my file and then back to me.

"Well yeah. You see I sort of have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism." I reply scratching the back of my head.

Mactavish nods, "Yes it mentioned that as well." He continues. I could feel my face reddening, the captain immediately notices this. He gets up and walks around the desk.

"You needn't worry lad. In my unit we judge a person not by their differences but by the actions of their heart." He said placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

I run a hand through my hair and look to the floor. "Sir what if the men don't like me?" I ask, concern weighing heavy in my voice.

Mactavish shakes his head, smiling reassuringly. "Nonsense they'll love you. You look like quite the character, Rambo." He jokes pointing to my bandanna. I let out a chuckle, my concern lifting slightly. _Well, at least there's one person here who's genuinely non judgemental. _"Now come on. I'll show you to the barracks." He said motioning for me to follow him. I rise from my seat and trail after him out the building. There's a light drizzle outside as we make our way toward the barracks.

"Y' all don't get a lot of sunshine here, do y' all." I comment out of the blue. _Man why the hell do people always talk about the weather?_

The older man shakes his head, "Nah not really. What's the weather like where you're from?" He asks, glancing over at me.

I blink, smiling slightly as think back home. "Oklahoma? I couldn't accurately tell ya. One day it's drier than the Sahara, the next it's colder than fuckin Antarctica." I comment humorously.

"Sounds like a real hellhole. How do you deal with it?" Mactavish asks, continuing the light conversation as we walk through the light rain.

A small smile crosses my lips. "That's the beauty of Oklahoma, if ya don't like the weather just wait a day." I reply as we make our way into the barracks. Some men sit on their bunks conversing loudly.

"Bro I'm tellin ya Iron Man could so kick Superman's ass!" A dark toned man shouts to a black haired man sitting in a metal chair.

The black haired man rolled his eyes. "And just what makes you say that?" The man questions, crossing his arms as he waits for an answer.

The dark tone man furrows his brow, "Dude he's covered in all that metal armor and shoots missiles!" The other man yells back, gesturing wildly.

"Big deal! Superman can bend steel with his bare hands! And he shoots lasers from his eyes! His mother fucking eyes!" He accents, pointing to his own eyes for emphasis.

Mactavish blinks, looking from each arguing man in slight confusion. "Um guys I hate to interrupt this 'highly intellectual' discussion but we have new recruit." Mactavish cuts in. Everyone looks to me with curiosity. "Well, I'll let you boys get to know each other. Try to go easy on him." He warns before he disappears out of the room.

I then feel all eyes on me, inspecting me from head to toe. "So does the F.N.G have a name?" The dark skinned man asks, grinning from ear to ear.

I glance over, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "Um, yeah. It's Gary Sanderson." I respond nervously.

"Just Gary Sanderson?" he asks, raising an eyebrow as he waits expectantly for something.

A bemused look crosses my face. "Huh?" I ask, hoping I wasn't being awkward.

A man lying on his bed, reading a book answers. "We go by call signs on missions." The man explains to me.

I look to the reader, "Why?" I question.

The dark haired man in the chair leans back in the chair, stretching. "Officially we don't exist, so our identities are concealed by call signs." The older man said.

"So everyone has a call sign?" I ask, glancing from the dark haired man to the rest of the occupants in the room.

The dark haired man nods, placing his hands behind his head. "Yep, except the captain. At least I don't think he does." He states, looking up to the ceiling in thought.

I nod in understanding, smiling awkwardly. "So what are y' all's names?" I inquire to everyone, causing a few people to snicker, "What?"

"You said 'y' all'!" The dark skinned man answers, laughing full out.

My face flushed red. "Oh sorry." I mumble, apologetically.

The dark skinned man finishes laughing, "So where are you from, Billy Bob?" He asks.

I blink, "Oklahoma." I respond positively. Everyone in the room bursts out laughing again. "Is that a problem?" I ask defensively, crossing my arms across my chest to try and look tough.

"No man it's just the only other redneck here is Toad." Another soldier responds.

I instantly shot up a hand. "Whoa dude, hang on. I may sound a little hick but I ain't no redneck." I state shortly.

Everyone begins to laugh-again. "You 'ain't'?" Everyone shouts, laughter spilling over into their words.

I face palm, _Oh you got to be kidding me-_. "Relax bro. We're just messing with ya." The dark haired man utters, patting me on the back.

I look up at him and smile. "So without anymore awkwardness, what's y' all's names." I question, wincing slightly at my use of 'y' all'.

The dark haired man smiles considerately. "Well I'm Sergeant Dave Mackenzie, nickname's Royce." He tells me.

With a smile, I extend a hand to him. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Royce." I reply optimistically. Royce grasps my hand firmly, nodding at me.

Royce then glances over to the dark skinned man and gives him a slight punch to the gut, causing him to spit out some of the water he was drinking. "And the genius right here is Todd Buckley, nickname Meat, for obvious reasons." He said pointing to him as he sends a smirk to Meat.

"Fuck you Royce." Meat coughs, whipping the spew water from his mouth angrily. Royce just rolls his eyes and continues with the introductions. After about thirty minutes, I'm introduced to a very interesting lot. There's Sergeant Peter Brooks, a former Navy SEAL nicknamed Worm. Then there's Billy Jackson or Toad, the aforementioned Alabamian. He's a skilled sniper who likes to attribute his shooting ability to his hog hunting days. I'm also introduced to Ozone and Scarecrow but the ones who seemed to stick out the most were Royce and a former marine.

"The names Jack Snyder, but you can call me Snake." He greets, extending a hand to me. I take it, shaking briefly.

I glance at the lot, then back to Snake, "So if I may ask, how does a person get all these nicknames?" I ask.

Snake smiles. "Well Worm here got his cause of his time on the low wire crawl course, Toad cause of his obsession with Frog gigging, Royce from his love of the Rolls-Royce line of automobiles, Ozone for his habit of hovering, Scarecrow for his frightening face, and Meat cause well Meat is an idiot." Snake finishes. Meat throws up a middle finger, mouthing 'fuck you' to the former marine. Snake simply laughs, returning the gesture jokily.

I laugh slightly at the exchange of silent taunts, "So how did you get yours?" I question, interested in the answer.

"My old Marine instructors used to tell me I was meaner than a rattlesnake." He replies with a smile. _Looks like this was going well so far, not too much teasing._ "So what unit did you transfer from?" Snake asks, leaning back in his chair.

I blink, "Delta Force, I was a marksman and demo specialist." I state nonchalantly.

"Ooh looks like Toad may have a little competition." Meat said laughing. Toad ignores the comment and looks at me.

He points at me, "Me and you may hafta have us a little shoot off later." He challenges, a cocky grin playing on his face.

I laugh at this, nodding in agreement with this challenge. It's then that I wonder when I would be able to run the pit, if they had one. "So do y' all have a pit here?" I inquire.

"Yeah but I think were mostly doing PT after lunch." Snake responds knowingly.

Royce glances at his watch. "Speaking of lunch guys, we got about five minutes till it starts." He broadcasts to us. Everyone exchanges a few 'oh shit' looks before shooting up. We all exit the barracks and head towards the mess hall in a rush.

Mactavish's point of view.

I sit down next to Ghost at a table at the end of the mess hall. "So what's the F.N.G like?" Ghost asks as he lifts up his balaclava slightly to take a sip of coffee. I know why he always prefers to keep his face hidden but we keep it between ourselves.

I nod in response, "He's a nice boy but a bit fidgety and awfully shy." I reply.

Ghost lets out a small chuckle. "Cat got his tongue?" He questions.

I shake my head. "No. He's Autistic." I state shortly.

Ghost becomes completely still. "Sir?" he said, inquiry in his comment.

I nod. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I have a feeling he's been a victim of bullying because of his difference." I reply.

"I see. What led you to believe this?" Ghost inquires, taking another sip of his coffee.

I scratch the back of my head, "Well he seemed worried that the others wouldn't like him." I inform him.

Ghost nods shortly, "Ah. So anything else I should know?" Ghost asks.

"Just try to make him feel accepted. And be careful when pushing him today in PT. I know it's your way of encouragement but he may not realize that. So push everyone randomly so it doesn't look like your singling him out." I said. Ghost nods in understanding. The doors to the mess hall open and several of the men walk in laughing wildly. Gary enters in after them and they all got in line. The group of men sits at the common tables after getting their food except for Gary who just stands with his lunch tray looking around awkwardly. "Sergeant Sanderson!" I shout waving a hand.

He immediately jumps and salutes crisply. "Yes sir?" He inquires shakily, almost as if he thought he was in trouble.

"Pull up a chair lad." I order, pointing to the front of the table. He nods shortly, grabbing a chair and sitting across from Ghost and I. "So how you liking it here so far?" I asked.

Gary shrugs, "Well the men seem pretty cool." He comments as he takes a bite of roast beef. His eyes widen in surprise when he chewed the dark meat.

My eyebrow raises slightly, "Everything OK?" I ask worriedly as I remember hearing something about Autistic people's intolerance to certain foods.

He nods, smiling brightly. "Yes sir, its just-it's pretty good. Is this how the food usually is? He questions, taking another bite.

"Yeah. What, did they feed you trash back in the Force?" Ghost remarks jokingly.

Gary shakes his head. "No, it's just most military food is shitty that I've just forgotten what food tastes like." He replies as he continues eating. He looks so rigid; almost like he was 'sitting in attention'.

I cough, "So ya ready for PT after later?" I ask to keep the conversation going.

"Yes sir. If I may, what exactly will we be doing?" He asks politely.

A smile crosses my face, glad the keep the conversation alive. "Well I'm glad you asked. This specific training exercise is based from SAS training. Three hours after lunch we will march ten miles cross country in full equipment and secure the objective in under three hours." I explain to him.

Gary blinks, "Damn" Was the only word he could get out.

"Yeah it's tough but possible." I told him reassuringly.

Gary nods slightly, gazing down at his food as the smile slips from his face. "Sir, am I sitting here because I am different?" Gary questions, changing the subject.

I shake my head, grinning widely, "No you're sitting here because we want you too." I state truthfully.

"You should be happy. You're sitting at the cool table." Ghost adds, nodding slightly. A small smile crosses Gary's lips and he gets up to put his tray away.

"Oh, and Sanderson. There's something else I wanted to let you know." I call after him.

Gary turns at the mention of his surname. "Yes sir?" he asks.

"Ghost has his own special way of encouraging people, so don't take it personally." I explain him shortly.

Ghost nods, "Yeah. If anything it means I like ya." Ghost said with a smirk forming in his mask. Gary then salutes and walks off.

I turn to Ghost, smiling. "So?" I inquire, waiting for him to answer.

Ghost shrugs, "I like the boy, a little jumpy but he looks like a good kid." He replies. I nod in agreement, letting out a pent up breath. "Has he met the girls? They're bound to love him." Ghost said. I immediately froze in terror as I realize I had forgotten to mention the task force's 'female' operatives.

Sergeant Veronica 'Ruby' Summer's POV

I sit in my room, resting up for today's PT while Gadget lies on her stomach on the adjacent bed, typing away on her laptop. She's so zoned out that she doesn't even notice the pillow I throw till it makes contact with her face. "Ow! What was that for?" Gadget shouts, rubbing her face over dramatically.

I roll my eyes, "Gadget you've been on that damned thing for the past hour, take a break." I told her, running a hand through my long blonde hair.

Gadget rolls her dark eyes as she throws the pillow back at me, continuing to type away. "Can't." She said swiftly.

Easily I catch the pillow, raising an eyebrow at her, "Why not?" I ask, taking the pillow and resting my elbows on it.

She looks up from the screen; a distraught look sits on her face. "My brother is worried again. Every time he sees me he says I have more scars than before." She responds dismally, pointing to a scar that wrapped all the way around her wrist. Nearly everyone in the task force knew that she had gotten that injury on her first mission when she was captured by a drug cartel.

* * *

A/N: (Jacob) see chapter 6 of 'Where It All Begins' by Emily Gadget Robins. I would also like to state that Gadget and Erin's characters belong to them but they were awesome enough to let me include them in my story.

* * *

It was a miracle that she survived at all after being given poison by her captors. Everyone who knew her well had grown even closer to her, especially Ghost, but those two had seemed to have a connection at the beginning. I remember staying up with her during her 'imprisonment' in the infirmary after Ghost and Mactavish made her stay longer. We have been best friends ever since. I let out short puff of air, waving her off, "He worries too much about you. I mean, I know you're his baby sister but you're perfectly capable of handling yourself. You take down Meat on a daily basis and he's twice you size!" I remark, smirking at the diss on Meat.

Gadget nods, smiling haft heartily. "I know it's just I hate for him to worry." She replies, before going back to her laptop. Suddenly there's a knock at the door. "It's open." Gadget said, not taking her hazel eyes off the computer. Mactavish enters with a stressed look on his face.

He scratches the back of his Mohawk, "Um ladies. We have a new recruit today and-" Mactavish begins before I cut him off.

I perk up, my green eyes sparkling with excitement, "Really! Gadget! Let's go meet him!" I exclaim and Gadget nods in agreement. We both start to the door but Mactavish blocks the way. I puff out my cheeks, placing my hands on my hips in annoyance. "Hey! What's the big idea!" I ask.

Mactavish's blue eyes look at me sharply, "Ruby, look. As much as I agree with you about welcoming him, I have to warn you to be easy on the boy." He states in a serious tone.

"What?" I question furrowing my eyebrows in confusion as I exchange a look with Gadget.

Mactavish sighs, "The lad is Autistic." He replies shortly.

Gadget steps forward, a look of disgust on her face. "So that doesn't mean he isn't a person!" Gadget snaps.

Mactavish face palmed. "I know that. It's just that he's most likely been unpopular his whole life. He was shy at lunch with the men earlier so he's sure to be extremely shy around two women. So please be careful. We want him to feel welcome." He cautions.

I grin widely. "Don't worry bout a thing, Jonathan." I respond with a chuckle, using his formal first name.

Mactavish rolls his eyes, looking at the two of us seriously. "Seriously." he states as he walks out of the room.

My eyes roll up to the ceiling as I stick out my tongue after him. "Fine Mr. Grumpy gills." I huff as Gadget and I follow him out of our room.

We come to the men's barracks.

Mactavish stops, turning to us, "Hold on" He said stopping us both, "Boys are ya decent?" He calls into the room. A chorus of yes's came in reply and Mactavish motions for us to follow. We walk into the room where a bunch of the guys were on their bunks conversing, except for one person who was away from everyone prepping his gear for the upcoming PT. _That must be him_. We approach him. "Sanderson?" Mactavish asks. Instantly the man spins around and snaps to a salute.

"Sir!" he said sharply, standing rigidly.

Mactavish nods, "Easy now lad. There are two people I would like you to meet." He states, gesturing to me and Gadget. The man glances at us and his eyes widen like a deer in headlights, his face beet red. "Well I'll let you three get acquainted. Remember PT in thirty minutes." Mactavish said as he walks out the door.

We walk out to the front of the building. "Um it's nice to meet you. I'm S-Sergeant Gary Sanderson." He stuttered extending a shaky hand.

"Sergeant Veronica 'Ruby' Summers. This is Sergeant Emily Robbins, she goes by Gadget." I replied as I shook his hand. I could feel him flinch when I touched him. _Poor guy, he really is nervous. Gadget and I will have to fix that._

Gary's POV

I was in the barracks beside my bunk preparing my gear when I heard the familiar Scottish accent of the captain. "Boys are ya decent?" I heard him ask. Loud choruses of yes's shout in the captain's direction. I continue preparing my gear for PT, if a general or something was coming into the room I wanted to look busy-_No need to make a bad impression on the first day_. "Sanderson?" I heard the familiar voice of the captain call out.

I turn around. "Sir!" I respond, saluting promptly.

"Easy now lad. There are two people I would like you to meet." he said as he gestured to two men- _wait! Oh fuck_! I could immediately feel my face going red as I realize that the two people he revealed were two women. "Well I'll let you three get acquainted." Mactavish said exiting the room. I look into the jaded eyes of the smiling girl in front of me_. Damn I look like an ass right now._ She motioned me to follow her and her friend outside.

Which I don't blame them for; these guys were goofy as hell. "Um it's nice to meet you. I'm S-Sergeant Gary Sanderson." I said as I put out my hand.

The green eyed girl smiles and shook it. "Sergeant Veronica 'Ruby' Summers. This is Sergeant Emily Robbins, she goes by Gadget." She replies gesturing to the girl next to her. "So ya ready for PT?" she asks me.

I nod awkwardly, "Yeah. I hear it's supposed to be pretty tough." I reply.

"Well I bet a tough guy like you can handle it." Gadget remarks with a mock punch to my shoulder.

I gulp, grinning slightly, "Yeah I hope so." I said_. Well they're talking to me so they can't be that bad._ I thought, trying to get rid of my embarrassment.

Ruby nods towards the barracks we had just left, "So what do ya think of the guys?" she asks, a kind smile still present on her face.

I shrug, "Eh they seem pretty crazy." I state.

Gadget laughs, waving the remark off, "Oh don't mind them, they're always like that. I occasionally have to threaten 'em with a garden weasel when they get out of line." Gadget said.

"Well Gadget and I have to go get ready. But we'll talk to you later." Ruby said with a smile as they walk off towards their barracks.

Ruby's POV

"I like him, He's shy as hell but he's really nice!" Gadget comments with excitement as we walk back to our room.

I know, grinning, "Yeah I know. I wonder if he's like that around all girls." I reply, pulling my long blonde hair into a ponytail, tying it with an elastic hair tie.

Gadget frowns, looking up in thought, "Who knows. Poor guy. I wonder why anyone would ever be mean to him?" she said, putting the question out that also sat on my mind.

I shrug, a wide grin flickering across my face. "Well whatever it is me and you are gonna fix it." I said, smirking. With that, we both walk to our room and got ready for the hell that is to come.

* * *

Author's Note: (Erin) Sorry for taking so long to get this up, last semester was hell for me. Word to the wise people, never take Chemistry. It's a math class disguised as a science class. Lol that and don't take it with another math class. (stupid Geometry). But now I have easy classes, so updating will be faster.

This is a collab with Jacob0392, so please rate and review. Characters belong to their respected owners.


	4. Runners of the woods

'Runners of the Woods'

15:06:32

Sgt. Gary Sanderson

Task Force 141

Forest outside of Creedenhill, UK

Gary's POV

I sit at the edge of the woods next to Snake and the other guys I had already met along with several new faces. With the group mumbling to each other, I try my best to make light conversation with Snake, Royce, and Meat. Eventually, Captain Mactavish and Ghost walk to the front of us in full gear. I quickly double check to make sure I have all my equipment. My chest rig is outfitted with flash bangs and mock frags, five each. Slung across my shoulder is an ACR, specially designed to fire paint balls and fitted with a quick draw TAC harness for easy access. Strapped on my back are rappelling ropes and a canteen. I pull out the G18, which was holstered to my thigh, and re-holster it. Then I pull it out again to make sure I could get it quickly if needed. I check the rubber training knife we all had been equipped with, a bemused smile on my face as I flick it.

"Alright men listen up," Mactavish begins. All of the chatter dies down as everyone turns to face the captain, "OK, now we have three hours to get to the objective and secure the VIP," Mactavish continued as if this were an actual mission, "We should be back just before nightfall. Any questions? No? Good. Keep your eyes peeled and follow me." Mactavish concludes, jogging promptly into the woods.

Ghost nods at us, "Alright let's do this." Ghost remarks, following after his Mohawk comrade. We all begin a moderate jog into the woods. The light drizzle from before had picked up. It caused the ground to become very muddy. Water splashed freely onto my face with each step, causing my visibility to decrease steadily. _Come on Gary tough it out, it's just a little rain._ I told myself as I shouldered my rifle and pulled my Oakleys off my face to clean the mud off.

"Gary. Be careful, there are mud holes everywhere." A familiar female voice calls from behind me.

I turn my head to see Ruby and Gadget running behind me. "Where- oofh!" I begin before slipping and falling face first into the mud. _Great first day on the Task Force and already I'm falling on my face, good job Gary_. I curse myself mentally. I then feel myself being lifted off the ground by two people. Glancing to my sides, I see Ruby and Gadget each lifting me by my arms. My face immediately flushes with embarrassment. "Sorry ladies." I mumbled apologetically.

"Save it. We're falling behind." Gadget replies as she takes off jogging after the group.

I run a hand across my face, the mud coming off in slicks. "Yo Gary, ya forgot these." Ruby said from beside me as she hands me my mud covered sunglasses. Quickly I take them and shoved them into one of the many pockets of my PCU jacket.

"Thank you Sergeant Summers." I reply as I continue jogging. We soon find our way back into the midst of the group.

Royce notices my arrival, a perplex look on his dampen face. "Gary! Man what happened back there?" Royce asks over the continuing downpour.

"Nothing. Just slipped." I state, trying to keep up with the group.

Toad snorts, falling in next to me. "Ya need someone to keep an eye on ya?" Toad asked jokingly, a smirk fixed on his face.

"Gadget and I got it covered. Thank you very much." Ruby answers for me, patting me on the back. A small smile slips on my face, feeling a little better.

"Good to see we're all working together." Ghost said suddenly from beside us, making me jump_. Now I see how he got his name, the man was sneaky._

About an hour into the run Mactavish motions for us to slow down. "Alright boys slow it down a bit, but stay frosty." He tells us. We all gladly slowed to a walk and caught our breaths.

Scarecrow scratches to back of his head, glancing at Mactavish then back to us. "Hey what do you think the captain meant by stay frosty?" he asks quietly.

"I don't know, maybe we-!" Meat begins but was cutoff by a whooshing sound and a paint ball hitting him straight to the crotch. He doubles over in pain, clutching his paint splattered privates.

Ozone's eyes snap in different directions, confusing on his face. "What the fuck was that!" he questions. More paint balls begin to fly through the air and we all start doing the sniper dance to avoid getting hit.

"Get down ya moppets! Ambush!" Ghost finally shouts, shoving people to the ground. I immediately drop to prone and look for where the paint balls are coming from. There are people dressed as terrorist hiding behind some trees shooting at us.

"Sanderson!" I glance up at the mention of my name to see Mactavish and the others taking cover behind a fallen tree. "Sanderson! On me! We'll cover ya!" Mactavish screams, waving me over. Everyone then rises over the log and returns fire. Seizing this opportunity, I sprint to the captain's side and take cover. "Alright listen up! Sanderson, on my go, toss a flash bang. Scarecrow and Royce will push them to the left, Snake and Ozone to the right. Everyone else will get them in the center!" Mactavish orders starkly. I pull out one of my flash bangs and awaited the captain's order. "Sanderson! Go!" With that, I pull the pin and lob the flash bang over the log. A loud boom follows and Royce, Scarecrow, Snake, and Ozone hop over the log and fire at the 'terrorists'. I rise from cover and aim down my sights at any stragglers caught out in the open. Soon enough, the shooting dies down and Mactavish orders everyone to cease fire. I check myself to see if I had been hit_. Nope OK I'm good to go_. I gaze over to Meat who is still on the ground writhing in pain. Mactavish looks down at him and chuckles. "Maybe next time I say 'stay frosty' you'll listen." He berates Meat lightly, helping him up. We then resume our trek through the woods.

Meat obtains a handkerchief from his pocket and tries to remove the red paint splatter while walking. "Ugh! Shit!" Meat swears loudly.

Worm stifles a laugh, "What's wrong Meat? You forget your tampons again?" Worm jokes.

"Fuck you man!" Meat growls in response.

"Ease up man. No need to start PMSing on us." Worm replies, fueling Meat's already jacked up temper.

"Shut the fuck up!" Meat spat sharply, ready to blow up completely on Worm.

"You shut the fuck up!" Worm spat back.

"HEY! IF YOU TWO NANCYS BOTH DON'T SHUT THE FUCK UP I'LL CASTRATE YOU WITH A GARDEN WEASEL AND FEED EM TO A DOG!" Gadget screams over the two's bickering. Both of the men go dead silent and move towards the front of the group.

I gulp, gravitating to Ruby. "Is she always like this?" I inquire quietly.

Ruby smirks, "Only when the guys get out of hand." She responds, laughing. I caught a glimpse ahead and notice everyone has stopped. Wordlessly, I walk to the front and realize the reason for the stop. In front of us is a fifty foot drop. I glance down and instantly shudder. Yeah I guess I forgot to mention how terrified I am of heights.

"Everyone ready your rappelling ropes." Mactavish instructs as he secured his rope onto a tree nearby the edge. I grab the spool of nylon rope that was on my back and latch it onto a tree. Everyone around me does the same and we move towards the ledge where the captain and Ghost stand.

"Gary what's wrong?" Ruby asks noticing my trembling.

"Um, well… I'm sort of afraid of heights." I whisper, scratching the back of my head embarrassed.

Ruby throws me a reassuring thumbs up, "Well don't worry I'll catch ya." she replies grinning.

"Alright! Go! Go!" Mactavish bellows as he slides down his rope. We all quickly follow suit and slide down to the ground. I practically fell to the forest floor and begin vomiting violently.

Snake is the first to notice, making his way over to me. "Buddy? You OK?" he inquires as he and Royce approach me.

I nod shakily, "Yeah just scared of heights!" I mumbling, wiping vomit from my mouth. Immediately, I feel myself being lifted up by Snake and Royce. We then walk until we come to a ridge overlooking a small hut.

"Alright boys the objective is just ahead. Meat and Royce will guard the south entrance and cut off avenues of escape," Mactavish explains, "Ghost, you'll take the front entrance. Sanderson you plant the breaching charge." Mactavish hands me a square piece of cardboard. I feel a whole weight of responsibility fall upon me as I take the charge from the captain's hand.

Immediately, I freeze thinking of the level of responsibility. "Come on Sergeant, I'm with ya!" Ghost said, pulling me out of my daze. Ghost and I run to the side of the door. I place the charge on the door and it explodes the door inward. Ghost and I dash in, side by side and take down the 'tangos'.

"Sanderson! Secure the VIP!" I hear the captain shout. I look to a man tied to a chair and tackle him out of harms way. Soon the activity dies down.

"God kid! Your supposed protect him, not hurt him!" I hear Gadget shout from across the room.

The man below me groans in pain, "Yeah no kidding! You hit like a bloody train!" he moans. I shoot up in embarrassment.

"Sorry, are you OK?" I ask, my words tumbling out of my mouth, as I help the poor man up.

Ruby approaches me, waving me off, "Don't sweat it kid, ya actually did good." she said with a pat on my back. I begin to feel a smile form on my face with this reassurance.

Ruby's POV

We were all back at camp at the edge of the woods, gathered around a fire relaxing after our PT. We all had just finished dinner. Gadget and I were conversing, occasionally scolding Meat for his stupidness, until I feel someone else take a seat beside us. I glance up to see none other than our Scottish captain, Mactavish. "Hey Johnny what's up?" I ask, flashing him a smile.

"Hello lass, so how'd it go with Sanderson earlier?" He inquires, returning my smile.

"Good! He's shy but so niiiiice!" I answer.

Mactavish nods, "Glad to hear. But why is he off by himself?" The captain asks, pointing off toward the woods. I glance over and find Gary leaning against a tree smoking a cigarette.

I blink, shrugging, "Um I'm not really sure… Gadget let's go talk to him." I chime, standing up swiftly. Gadget looks up from her chat with Ghost and follows after me. We walk to where Gary is standing, giving each other a look before I walk up to him.

"What's up Gary?" I said, tapping him on the shoulder. Gary instantly jumps and spins around.

He looks at us, a startled look on his face. "Oh good evening Miss Summers, Miss Robbi-" He starts but I place up my hand, stopping him.

"Relax kid, its Ruby or Veronica." I state calmly.

Gadget nods in agreement. "Yeah and please don't call me Miss Robbins; I had some creeper call me that a while back." Gadget adds, shuddering slightly.

Gary nods, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry ladies." Gary remarks, taking a drag of his cigarette. There is then an awkward silence between us.

Gadget coughs, breaking the silence. "So why you off here by yourself kid?" Gadget asks, glancing at the others in the group.

"Oh, am I supposed to be with the group?" He asks nervously, looking also at the group.

I shake my head, "No, it's just we figured you'd wanna hang out with the guys." I explain to him.

Gary's face falters a little, "Oh well I'm not sure if that's a good idea." He replies, looking at the ground sadly.

"Why not?" I ask a puzzled look on my face.

Gary takes a drag on his cigarette, blowing a puff of smoke into the black night. "Well I'm not so good at conversation. So they'd probably think I'm weird." He reveals.

"Nonsense, you did awesome in PT. So that's something to talk about." I state positively.

Gadget grins, nodding in accordances "Yeah, so come on silly." Gadget said pulling him along in the direction of the group. He meekly complies, following us to the fire.

Gary's POV

I take a seat beside the girls by the fire, fidgeting nervously. "Sanderson! Was sup ya crazy Okie!" Meat greets warmly.

Snake grins, nodding at me. "Yeah where'd you go man?" Snake questions.

I wave him off, smiling haft heartily. "Oh nowhere, just smoking." I reply.

"Well you're just in time bro!" Meat hollers.

"Huh?"

Mactavish sighs, shaking his head as a bemused smile sits on his face. "Their having another on of their 'intellectual discussions." He said in response to my question.

"Come on, captain answer the question!" Toad shouts, waiting for the Scotsman's answer.

Mactavish rolls his eyes, "Honestly lads is it really that impo-!" he begins but gets cut off by a bunch of 'hell yeahs'. "Fine, in response to your question, yes I have worn a bloody kilt! There, happy?" Mactavish replies. Everyone bursts out with laughter; the captain just rolls his eyes. I let out a slight chuckle at the thought of the big burly man across me in a kilt. _Hmm maybe he's a bad ass like Brave heart._ When the laughter has died down, Mactavish looks at me with a friendly smile. "So Sanderson? You found a nickname yet?" He questions.

"No not yet." I respond, shrugging.

Mactavish smirks, "Well don't worry. I'm sure you'll find one soon." He said, laughing slightly. A curious question begins to form in my head.

Inevitably, I let the question form into words and let them off. "So, captain how come you ain't got a nickname?" I ask with a small smile.

Mactavish shrugs, "Eh I've just never seen the need." he replies.

"So the geniuses here never gave you one?" I inquire, nodding at the others at the fire.

Mactavish looks into the fire, "I never said that." he states, a grin sliding onto his face.

"Yeah you should hear the story about when we were on mission in Beirut." Ruby blurts out, smirking devilishly at the captain. Everyone joins in smiling evilly at Mactavish, silently pressuring him into telling the story.

"Guys come on is this really necessary?" Mactavish groans, face palming. Everyone gazes at the captain with puppy eyes, finally getting to him. "Oh fine! Undermine me in front of the new guy I guess!" Mactavish states sarcastically.

Ruby grins, turning to me as she explains the story. "Well basically we were being chased by hundreds of pissed of Lebanese militia and Gadget here was frantically calling for Mactavish to evac us. He said the LZ was too hot, so Meat grabbed the radio and shouted 'beam me up Scotty' to Mactavish!" Ruby explains, trying to stifle her laughter. Everyone along with myself burst out laughing.

I caught my breath, wiping a tear from my eye. "Ya know captain I think I've got the perfect name for ya." I said with a grin the size of the moon.

"And what would that be lad?" Mactavish inquires, an interested smile sitting on his face.

"BIG MAC!" I cry out, bellowing with laughter.

Mactavish blinks, "Big Mac? You mean like the hamburger?" he questions. Everyone ponders this for a moment before erupting into laughter. The captain's face is twisted in slight confusion before turning into a smile. "I like you lad. You're funny." He utters confidently. Mactavish looks around the fire at everyone, "Alright I'm sure we've all had enough fun for one evening," He states "You can have the rest of the night off till 2200. As for me I'm heading off to do paperwork and then hopefully get some sleep." He walks away from the fire, yawning loudly. My whole body ached from the countless hours of PT, so I decide to head off to the barracks and catch a few extra Zs. I'm so completely worn out from the day's events that I basically fall asleep when I hit the sheets.

Author's Note: Hahaha….ha. Hi. ^^; Sorry for the non-existent updates. Life's been pretty hectic on my end and I haven't had the chance to really work on editing this story. (Though I have been able to work on the rough draft for Russian roulette). But it's summer! So, hopefully that'll mean more updates. No promises, because I did that last summer and it didn't really work out as planned.

Anyway…Jacob and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) Please rate and review!


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